January 5, 2021: Pushing Back Against Spiritual Distancing
Jesus came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. It is the enemy that comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).
From the beginning, one of the enemy’s most effective strategies has been to divide and separate—to distance us from God and each other. Since our first wandering apart in the Garden of Eden, keeping us in the age-old conflict between good and evil has depended on our remaining separate. From each other and from God.
Often, the lure is to get us to choose between polar opposites—be it politics, ideologies, religion, race. The deceiver doesn’t care which end of the pole we run to, as long as it keeps us at odds with one another. He knows we can’t be in conflict and peace at the same time.
As candles next to each other cast a brighter light, the Spirit quickens believers who come together. We receive power when we draw near to God. If we understood how very life-threatening separation is to us spiritually, we would push back. Our togetherness with God and each other is so vital to our recovery and victory that it was the single most important thing on Jesus’ mind the night before He died on the cross.
Heavenly Father, may Jesus’ plea for us be our reality! Amen.
Rick Aldridge is a chaplain at Fort Hamilton Hospital for Kettering Adventist HealthCare in Ohio.
More Devotionals
- January 1: Put God First
- January 2: Light in the Darkness
- January 3: Live by Faith
- January 4: Prisoners of Praise
- January 5: Pushing Back Against Spiritual Distancing
- January 6: The Phone Call
- January 7: Just Ask
- January 8: Find Home
- January 9: Joy is a Promise
- January 10: Just the Boost I Needed
Join the Journey
To help you dig deeper into God’s Holy Word this year, we’re offering:
- Every Day—Read our Words of Life daily devotional book that features favorite Bible verses from members, pastors, students and leaders from across the Columbia Union. You can also read the devotionals on the Columbia Union app, and interact with the verses in our instagram stories.
- Every Week—Delivered straight to your email, read our e-newsletter by subscribing to Visitor News Bulletin at columbiaunionvisitor.com/vnb. Keep up with the latest Year of the Bible events, devotionals, videos and more.
- Every Month—This calendar, themed “Words of Life,” coincides with the devotional book and videos. It features a biblical topic and verse each month, with additional passages for further exploration, study and ideas on how to apply the concepts in your daily life.
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